From Sweetwater to the Kodak Theatre

Magnet #1102 - Bierstadt's Last of the Buffalo

Another one of my postage stamp magnets from the Corcoran.

The Last of the Buffalo looks small here, but it's actually something like 5' x 9' - like most of Albert Bierstadt's work, it's pretty huge. It's one of his most important paintings late in his career, and one telling the story of the last days of the buffalo, and the Indians who hunted them. Supposedly, this painting is set at the foot of the Wind River Mountains in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.

For a select few, probably just my sisters and me, you'll know Sweetwater territory as the home base of the Young Riders, the supercute boys of early days of the Pony Express...and their housemom, Emma, played by a very young Melissa Leo, before her Oscar-winning, f-bomb dropping speech last night.

Here she is, with a very young Josh Brolin, before his own matchy-matchy Oscar-presenting with Javier Bardem, cater-waiter outfit.

Oh, Henry

Magnet #782 - Henry II "Curtmantle" (r. 1154-1189)

I know. With as many Henrys in the family line, I could have picked a better monarch on which to blow this magnetpost title.

The only thing I know about Henry II is what I dimly remember from Peter O'Toole in A Lion in Winter, which seems to bear another watching. He was an acerbic king...or, that was just Peter.

Anyway, he was definitely a monarch with a really big kingdom - far-reaching enough to afford him the titles of King of the English, Duke of the Normans and Aquitanians and Count of the Angevins.

Henry gets a mention today, because today back in 1969, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand tied for Best Actress Oscar - a feat that I didn't even know ever happened. Kate won for playing Eleanor of Aquitaine to Peter's Henry II, while Babs won for Funny Girl. Even better, that night, Kate became the first actress to be awarded three Oscars, with her final tally at four by 1981.

I thought a bit of royalty would work for today, because tonight, we'll be queuing up for the Doctor Who panel down in the village. I'd like to thank the Paley Center for that. Think I was bitter before? Wait. Give me 12 hours.

We'll likely not make it in, because people are planning on getting in line right about now (for a 7pm event). But, I suppose, in the end, it'll be fun to taste the madness.

Oh! And, yes, I looked up "Curtmantle" - it's supposedly a name derived from the fact that he wore a shorter robe than the other men about town. Really? Would love to see what he says about what we wear now. /random

They broke up! Oh, happy day!!!

Magnet #111 - George Clooney

Look. I'm just gonna come right out with it. I've got a thing for George Clooney.

I'm not a stalker, or at the very least, I'm a very, very poor one. And in fact, I've no real desire to ever meet the guy in person (lest the fourth wall be broken, and Clooney disappoint me).

This magnet was made by a friend of mine after he saw how scandalized I was that my boyfriend George brought THATwoman to the Oscars. Obvi, my people neglected to pass along my own invite. :-)

I'll cop to having a Google alert for George Clooney, too, which keeps me up-to-date on all the latest Clooney news stories and blog entries, Googlewide. However, these last few weeks, I've been tempted to turn off the alert, because seriously, how much more do we have to put up with silly-ass news stories about Sarah freakin' Larson.

They broke up. Oh, happy day!!!

We knew from the beginning they would. I mean, who really thought they were meant to be?

So now that it's finally happened, can we stop with all the reporting and re-reporting and new speculation as to the whys and wherefores already?

I, for one, think it'd be supergreat if we could just let THATwoman sink back into the oblivion from whence she came.

(And take that dress with her.)

Pink drinks for a red carpet

Magnet #2 - Hollywood & Highland

Given my deep love for anything and everything entertainment-related, Oscar day's something of a holiday for me.

April 2005. A week in Hollywood with a ton of studio tours and famous locations/exterior visits, a few celeb sightings, an almost-conversion to Scientology, and a birthday wish from Dean Cain.

And, yet a major highlight was staying at the offical hotel of the Oscars (the Renaissance) and touring the official home of the Oscars right next door (the Kodak Theatre). The backstage tour was totally made of awesome win - sitting in the seats and boxes, hanging out in the private party rooms, walking down the back hallways to the grand ballroom of the hotel where the Governor's Ball's held, and even taking a trip to the bathroom. Visions of Clooney, Julia and Spielberg running around in my head. (Well, ok, definitely the Clooney part, anyway.)

And, there at the corner of glamour and glitz was Hollywood & Highland, a testament to old-school Hollywood with new-school brash. A mix of posh and non-posh restaurants, high-end chocolatiers and sunglass huts, Lucky Strike bowling and Grauman's. Nothing beats that giant elephant, though. Damn, I wish I'd gotten *that* magnet instead.

Maybe when George escorts me down the Red Carpet.